Man Charged After 'Snowflake' Death

The woman was found to have died from septicaemia, from an infected right hand.

A man has been charged with manslaughter after a woman died following an alleged body modification procedure to insert a plastic snowflake under the skin of her hand.

Police said 37-year-old Brendan Russell from Terrigal, on the NSW Central Coast, ran a tattoo shop in the area. Strike Force Nellievale has been investigating the death of a 30-year-old woman who was found deceased in her home by her seven-year-old daughter in April 2017.

"Inquiries allegedly revealed the deceased woman had undergone body modification surgery to her hand three weeks prior to her death," police said in a statement on Monday.

"Police allege she complained about complications relating to the implant of a “plastic snowflake” under her skin shortly after the procedure."

The woman was found to have died from septicaemia, from an infected right hand.

Officers attached to Strike Force Nellievale have also been investigating complaints from a 38-year-old woman who allegedly had a stomach procedure from the same man in 2016.

On Monday, the man was charged with manslaughter related to the 2017 snowflake incident, and grievous bodily harm related to the 2016 incident.

The man arrested on Monday "is already facing a charge of prohibition of female genital mutilation, laid by Strike Force Nellievale detectives in May," police said, linked to another separate incident in 2016.

At the time of that arrest, police raided an Erina tattoo shop which spruiked services such as eyeball tattooing, and gum and forehead piercing.

The man was refused bail and will front Gosford Local Court on Tuesday.